Hold card holder



Jan. 26, 1943. R. H MCBEAQTH 2,309,407

HOLD CARD HOLDER Filed July 5, 1940 Fig.4

v INVENTOR. F'9-3 Boga; H, Mc Beafh BY M Q ATTORNEY.

Patented Jan. 26, 1943 Royce H. McBeath, Danville, Ky., assignor to F.D. Kees Manufacturing Company, Beatrice, Nebn, a corporation of NebraskaApplication July 5, 1940, Serial No. 344,045

4 Claims.

My invention relates to hold card holders for the temporary storage oforders or other messages relating to the operation of electricalswitches and circuits and particularly high voltage switches. Suchorders and messages according to present practice are usually secured toany suitable support in proximity to the switch and the attachment ofcards having thereon the orders or other messages is not only diflicultbut unsatisfactory. The operator usually wears rubber gloves while tyingthe card with a string or wire to the support. Inclement weather oftenmakes the attachment very difficult, especially when the work must bedone in the dark.- The cards bearing thereon the orders are then exposedto wind and snow and rain with the result that the card is sometimeslost or that the order becomes obliterated so that it cannot be read.

In brief, it is my object to provide a container which may be easilyattached to a support and which is adapted for the easy insertion andremoval of the cards. It is also my object to make the containerweatherproof to prevent the loss of the cards or the obliteration of theorders on the card. It is furthermore my object to provide the containerwith a transparent but weatherproof window through which the orders onthe cards may be read without opening the container. It is also myobject to provide a card holder which may be secured to boilers, stokersand any of many other operative devices for the mounting ofinstructions, either temporary or permanent.

Having in view these objects and others which will be pointed out in thefollowing description, I will now refer to the drawing, in which Figure1 is a view in isometric projection showing the front portion of thehold card holder with a corner broken away to disclose the interiorconstruction, the lid being in open position.

Figure 2 is a view in isometric projection showing the back of the holdcard holder, the lid being shown in closing position.

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view of the hold card holder, theview showing also the means for attaching the card holder to a support.

Figure 4 is a sectional view on the median vertical line through theupper portion of the card holder.

The device is formed of sheet metal of heavy gauge to withstand therough usage to which it is subjected as well as to resist the action ofthe elements. The side edges Ill and the bottom II are integral inchannelled construction and in U-form, constituting the frame of thedevice. 5

Inside this frame is a similar frame l2 which is L-shaped in crosssection and which is secured to the side edges l0 and to the bottom wallll and spaced from the front flanges l3 of the bottom and sides tocooperate with the frame l2 to function as a window frame for the glasswindow I4. At the back of the card holder is a sheet metal back wall l5which is welded as at I6 to the flanges ll of the sides and bottom. Theback I5 is spaced from the window M to provide a receptacle for cards orthe like which may be inserted or withdrawn from the holder through theopen top.

3 The lid I8 is designed for closing the top opening of the holder butit is provided with wide depending flangesto prevent the entrance ofrain and snow. It is secured to the holder to prevent its misplacement.As shown in Figure 1, the slotted link 19 is secured to both the holderand the lid I8 by means of a pin 2|] on the holder and a pin 2| on thelid. Each of the pins 26 and 2| has a sliding movement relative to theholder'and the top but the combined length of the two slots is such thatthe flanges of the lid cannot clear the upper edge of the holder untilthe lid is raised to the extreme height as permitted by the. pins, andslots. This prevents the accidental opening of the lid by gusts of windor otherwise to expose the contents of the holder to wind and snow andrain.

For conveniently securing the holder firmly in place, I provide a bolt22 passing through the back wall [5 to cooperate with the nut 23. Thehead of the bolt 22 is countersunk in the back wall l5 so as to leavethe inner surface of the back wall smooth and to provide no obstructionsto the insertion or removal of cards.

Under present practice the operator of the switch attaches a card withinstructions to Whatever is convenient in location which is often theswitch handle. The card is usually tied by a string or a wire to thesupport to warn a subsequent operator or workman, and since the operatormust wear rubber gloves and often work in darkness, the attachment ofthe card to its support is not easy and none too secure. The card isexposed to all kinds of weather, often resulting in the loss of the cardor the obliteration of the message on the card. With my holder, the cardis completely protected from weather at all times, and since the messagecan be. read through the window, there is no need for its withdrawalwith the wet or soiled hands of the operator. Cards with newinstructions may be readily inserted into the holder over the previouscard only by opening and closing the lid which requires severalmovements other than those of the elements.

High voltage switches are usually placed in elevated positions to beoperated by means of a tubular stem such as a pipe which has a leverhandle in its lower portion and which is within convenient reach of theoperator. When such a tubular stem is employed, the attachment may bemade as shown in Figure 3 to the tubular stem 24. For this purpose ametallic strap 25 is employed in the manner shown in Figure 3. Thisstrap is apertured at its mid-point for the reception of the bolt 22,the strap being firmly secured by means of the nut 23. The strap, whichpossesses a certain resiliency, passes partly around the support 24 andits end portions are secured together and tightened about the supportsby means of the bolt 26.

While I have described my invention in connection with the holding oforder cards for electrical work, it is obvious that it can be employedfor other purposes where it is desired to display a card in such amanner that it is protected but can be conveniently read.

Having thus described my invention in such full, clear, and exact termsthat its construction and operation will be readily understood by othersskilled in the art to which it pertains, what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A hold card holder having means for attachment to a support withinconvenient proximity to a switch or the like, said hold card holderhaving a back wall and a bottom wall and edge walls at both the lateraledges thereof, a transparent window functioning as a front wall, saidwindow being spaced from said back wall and parallel thereto to providea compartment for the temporary storage of orders, a closure for the toof said hold card holder, said closure having depending flanges on allsides thereof, and a hinge connection between said closure and said holdcard holder, said hinge including a link and a pair of pivot pinsprojecting from the lateral edge walls of said closure and said holdcard holder, said link being provided with a pair of slots for receivingsaid pins for slidable and pivotal movement of said closure relative tosaid hold card holder to opening and closing position.

2. A card holder having means for attachment to a support, said cardholder comprising a first frame member with flanges projecting from theopposite edges at both the front and rear, a second frame member withflanges projecting from opposite edges at the front thereof, and a rearwall member, said members being secured together with the front flangesof the two frame members in spaced relation and with the rear flanges ofthe first frame member secured to said rear wall, a transparent panedisposed between said spaced front flanges and functioning as a frontwall, said window being spaced from said rear wall and parallel theretoto provide a compartment for the temporary storage of cards, and aremovable closure for one end of said card holder secured thereto.

3. A card holder having means for attachment to a support, said cardholder having a back wall and edge walls at three sides thereof, spacedflanges adjacent the front thereof, a transparent window functioning asa front wall, said window being supported between said flanges and beingspaced from said back wall to provide a compartment for the temporarystorage of cards, a closure for the open end of said card holder, saidclosure having depending flanges on all sides thereof, and a hingeconnection between said closure and said card holder, said hingeincluding a link and a pair of pivot pins projecting from the lateraledge walls of said closure and said card holder, said link beingprovided with a pair of slots for receiving said pins for slidable andpivotal movement of said closure relative to said card holder to openingand closing position.

4. A card holder having means for attachment to a support, said cardholder comprising a wall member and two flanged frame members securedtogether to provide a back wall, a bottom wall, edge Walls at both thelateral edges thereof, and spaced flanges at the front thereof, atransparent window functioning as a front wall and disposed between saidspaced flanges, said window and said spaced flanges being spaced fromsaid back wall and parallel thereto to provide a compartment for thetemporary storage of cards, a closure for the top of said card holder,said closure having depending flanges on all sides thereof, and a hingeconnection between said closure and said card holder, said hingeincluding a link and a pair of pivot pins projecting from the lateraledge walls of said closure and said card holder, said link beingprovided with a pair of slots for receiving said pins for slidable andpivotal movement of said closure relative to said card holder to openingand closing position.

ROYCE H. McBEATH.

